No Mean People in the Garden

Today I encountered the human equivalent of hissing geese. It was a picture perfect spring day in Northern Virginia. We ventured out with a friend and her two kids to one of my favorite local spots--Meadowlark Botanical Gardens. Nestled in the middle of the DC suburbs, you might just pass it by unless you knew it was there. But my kids and I LOVE this place. We love it so much we have a season pass.

All of us enjoyed almost two hours of nature--hikes, flowers, trees, fish, turtles and geese. Ah yes, the geese. As we finished up a very light (yet hidden snack) of strawberries, my kids caught sight of two large geese down the grassy knoll. My kids and their friends charged down the hill. My friend and I sat on the bench watching them chase the geese until the birds escaped, unharmed, into the water.

Just then we hear a woman hissing from behind: Are those your kids? Please don't let them hit the geese!

My friend and I look at each other. Hit the geese? Our kids were chasing the geese down the hill--like any NORMAL child might do, but I'm pretty sure no one was actually hitting a goose. Have you ever seen anyone actually touch a goose?

So my friend yells up to her: Did you say hit the geese? They're not hitting the geese! They're running after them.

The lady hisses back: Please don't let them chase or hit the geese!

Ok, psycho lady. Have you go friggin' mad? I observe her watching over us like a beacon on the hill. We walk down to the kids to move them along and inquire if anyone actually touched a bird. And the lady disappears.

My son says: No mommy, we wouldn't hit them. They are too fast for us. (Good point.)

We walk up to another part of the gardens and I see an older man enjoying the view. My friend tells her son to put the rocks down and leave the garden alone.

He says: Yes, and don't throw them at the geese!

Really, has the whole world gone mad. My friend looks up at the man and says: He wasn't throwing them at the geese. And he's TWO!

The man replies: No, YOU were throwing them at the geese. At least that's what I could see.

I was so shocked by the statement that I could feel my pulse racing. I was ready to jump down on the man. Really, old man....can you see that distance from where you sit now? And who would actually throw rocks at the geese. If we're here to enjoy nature, why would we go around harming it. As we're rounding up our kids to leave, I see the original hissing lady making her way back from the main building. I was sure she walked up there to tell on us.

I called after my kids informing them that it was time to go, and if they didn't, they would have to live at the gardens with the evil goose lady.

Mean people really shouldn't be allowed in gardens.

This is an original DC Metro Moms post. 

Linda also writes at Baby Bunching and Monkey Business.